Forgive Me
by TheAceofAll
Summary: After the end of ROTJ, Anakin, now a ghost withing the Force attempts to make amends with his daughter, Leia. No EU
1. Chapter 1

Leia moved quickly through the construction zone formally known as the Jedi Temple, busily reading reports from the contractors. Ever since the fall of the Empire and the beginning of the new Jedi Order, massive construction had begun on the Temple, slowly transforming it back to its former glory. It was slow, expensive work with little end in sight and currently, the princess had a budget to balance. It was difficult; she didn't want to cut any corners or lose any of the Temple's historic value, yet needed to keep the cost down. She was planning to meet with a few different contractors tomorrow, hoping one of them would provide her with a better price than what was currently presented.

Leia walked quickly into the make-shift office she had had set up on the site, housed in the old living quarters within the temple. Leia sat at her desk and continued to go over the numbers. More than once that day, she wished her brother Luke was here with her. Unfortunately, her brother and Han had been called off-world for some issue the former Imperial Navy was having about the transfer of command. It seemed one of the generals was attempting some kind of coup and had to be stopped swiftly. Besides, the two of them wouldn't be much help with this anyway. Leia laughed remembering her brothers reaction when she requested his aid in the balancing of the workers price, 'Oh no little sister; I can't do this. I'm from Tatooine, understand? With their school system, it's a miracle I can read, let alone calculate anything.' Hells, Han just laughed in her face when she asked him for help. Of course, that night he couldn't figure out at all why he had ended up on the couch…

Leia's ruminations were stopped very suddenly when a figure began to appear in front of her. Though startled, this was not exactly an uncommon occurrence with the walls of the temple. Ever since Luke had begun her training with the Force, she had begun seeing the apparitions of Jedi long pasted appear in and out of the ancient walls. Apparently, with the Force in perfect balance (she still had no idea what that was supposed to mean, despite the long lectures from her dear twin), the barrier between life and death was all but nonexistent for people one with the Light Side of the Force. More than one occasion, a Jedi has appeared to her, young and old, to grant wisdom, advice, or (as the case with the particularly outspoken Master Mace Windu) criticize her for any shortcomings in her effort.

Leia's focus shifted to the entity appearing before her. He was young, perhaps in his mid-twenties, and extremely handsome. He was tall, blond, and had vaguely familiar blue eyes. Adding to his height was his size; he had wide shoulders and powerful arms. His rather intimidating mass was counterbalanced by the worried look he held in his eyes and the way he chewed on his lip nervously. He fuddled with his hands absently as if he had no idea what to do with them. In all honesty, the man looked somewhat…afraid of her. No, that wasn't right, he wasn't afraid of her, more like he was afraid to speak to her. It was as if he felt he had no permission to stand in her presence and was terrified of being thrown out.

Leia immediately felt her heart go out to this man. He had to have been killed young, just going based on his appearance (most preferred to appear the age they died) and there was just something about him. Leia felt an immediate connection, as if she knew instantly that she could put her faith to him. It reminded her of the first time she met Luke, barging into her cell and proclaiming his intent on rescuing her.

The man's form came to full view and he seemed to mentally steady himself. He closed his eyes for a moment as if to summon his courage before speaking, "Leia, or well, Princess, I-I know, or rather assume really, that you do not wish to see me, yet I felt I had to come. I-I really should have come earlier, yet I must admit I was rather… distraught at the idea of facing you." Leia tried to interject that she had no idea what the apparition was speaking about, but he continued to rabble on, "I understand if you with me to leave, if my presence is upsetting you. I really do understand, however I knew I had to at least make an effort. This is not easy for either of us, I know, but still vital for us both."

The spirit stopped for breath and Leia began to speak, "I'm really sorry I-"

"I know all too well what anger can do to a person, and I know that the Jedi way of releasing it can be fairly difficult, especially for someone starting so late in training. Not to say I do not have faith in you Princess, but perhaps some of my knowledge can aid you further."

"Please Sir I-"

"Now, I know this will not be simple, but after much meditation and speaking with multiple, well, wise sources I have come to the conclusion that-"

"Excuse me!" Leia raised her voice high. She had honestly no idea who this was supposed to be and was getting very tired of his ramblings. She looked him straight in the eye, "Who are you?"

The man looked taken back for a moment and glanced down at his form. He seemed to realize then that he hadn't really introduced himself. He straightened his posture and met her gaze fully, his vice clear but laced with gentleness, "Leia, I am your father. I am Anakin Skywalker."

Leia jerked back as if stung. She fell back into her chair and pushed away to get as far from him as possible. The apparition, Anakin, raised his hands and spoke gently, "Leia, I know this is a shock but listen-"

"NO!" Leia screamed, "Get-get away from me! Stay away! NOW!"

Anakin stepped back and lowered his hands, a look of defeat appearing over his sharp features. He spoke quickly and concisely, fighting back tears at every word, "Princess, I understand your reaction. I do. And I deserve it. I deserve your hate, your anger, all of it. I come here not for me though. I came here to ask to speak with you, to present my apologies. It is not enough, and I know that. Nothing will ever be enough to make up for all I have done to you, let alone the entire galaxy." Leia stared at him in shock and horror, unable to find her voice over the loud beating of her heart. Anakin continued, "However, after much debate, meditation, and many talks with Luke I-"

"You speak to Luke?!" She cried, a feeling of betrayal crossing her heart.

Anakin seemed to curse himself for bringing that up, "Yes Princess, Luke and I speak often. Your brother… Your brother saved me you know. He-he pulled me away from the dark, after 20 long years. He is the reason I can even appear before you today. I have never understood how he can be so forgiving, but I accept it with gratitude none the less."

"But why didn't he…"

"Tell you? I imagine he didn't want to upset you, considering our history, or rather all the horrible things I did to you. I think he imagined you would see it as a betrayal, him speaking to someone you would still consider an enemy. Am I right in these assumptions?" Anakin raised a dark blond eyebrow at his daughter. All she could do in response was nod quietly. "Well, moreover, he knew I needed to speak to, especially considering your progression within the Force."

Leia glanced at him in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Anakin sighed audibly, "Princess, you are growing in power, yet you hold anger in your heart. Anger for others misdeeds… anger at me. While you are justified in your emotions, you need to be aware of the dangers."

Leia's eyes narrowed dangerously, "What 'dangers' are you implying?"

Anakin looked away for a moment, "Take it from someone whose temper problems were legendary, holding in your anger can be… detrimental."

At that moment, Leia saw red, "You dare-You dare compare me to YOU?! You think any anger I have would make me turn into a monster like you?!"

"Leia please-"

"Don't you dare call me that! You have no right! Get-get away from me, leave NOW!" Leia screamed at the top of her lungs. She slumped over in her chair and covered her ears, attempting to physically block Anakin from her mind.

Anakin looked down in quiet defeat, realizing that he would get no further with his daughter. "Then I bid you farewell Princess Leia. I hope you realize that I care very much about you and wish you to not repeat my mistakes. Believe it or not, there was a time when people would say I was justified in my anger. If you wish to speak to me, just call out in the Force, I will hear you." And with that, Anakin disappeared within the folds of the Force, leaving his tear stricken daughter to her own emotions.

….

Many light-years away, within the small quarters of the Millennium Falcon, Luke Skywalker sat in quiet meditation. He felt himself smiling when a familiar presence approaching him within the Force. Within moments, his father appeared in front of him. After the initial joy of seeing him dissipated, Luke noticed his father's defeated mood. "Father, what's wrong? Did you speak to Leia?"

Anakin's eyes revealed the answer before his words, "Yes my son, I did. It went as I expected."

"Come now father, it couldn't have been that bad."

"I am afraid it was, moreover you may be getting a call from her soon. I let it slip that we communicate. I'm sorry child, I did not mean to cause any discontent between you and your sister."

"Do not fear father, Leia and I will be fine, I am certain. And I am also certain that she will come around in time."

"Luke, I fear for her. Beneath that calm exterior lies great anger and hatred; hatred I know all too well. I know what suppressing your emotions can do to someone, and more than anything I want to spare her my fate."

"Be at peace Father, we will ensure that will never happen to her. Leia has so much love in her heart, once she forgives that love will encompass all." Luke smiled at Anakin, the love in his own heart shinning out.

Anakin smiled back at his boy, how he adored this child! He had hurt Luke so much, yet he had found the strength to forgive him, the strength to love him. The concept that Luke could have ever seen past the monstrosity that he was, see the light where others, including himself, could only see darkness was astonishing to Anakin. He had never known someone with such a big heart. No, that wasn't true, he knew one other person…

Luke, so attuned with his father, picked up where his thoughts had taken him and asked, "How is mother?"

Anakin grinned as he always did at her mention, "She is well, she sends her love."

"Please send her my love back."

"Always," Anakin ducked down to avoid meeting his son's eyes, "To be honest, I fear returning to her. She will know of my failure today, failure to address our daughter."

"She will be angry?"

"No, just disappointed I'm afraid. She will be understanding of course, she always is, but I know how much this meant to her."

Luke shook his head at that, "Oh Father, you act as if this was your only opportunity! Once the initial shock wears away, I am sure Leia will slowly warm up to you. Today may not have gone as well as we hoped- and I am convinced it did not go as badly as you are acting- but there is always tomorrow. Patience is the Jedi way, after all."

Anakin sighed audibly, "I am an eternal pessimist who fathered an unrelenting optimist."

"The Force works in mysterious ways."

Anakin laughed at that, "How true. For now my child, I must leave you. Spending so much time in this plain of existence has left me feeling drained."

"I understand Father. Please return soon, I could use your impute on the issues we are having with the transition within the Navy."

"Yes, I have been paying attention to the situation. I will return in the morning and we will discuss a way to 'motivate' the officers into complying." Luke raised an eyebrow at his father's word choice but before he could comment, Anakin was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

CH 2

2 down and one to go, I hope this will be finished by next week. Thanks for the nice reviews, they really motivate me :-)

On another note, any followers of my other story Our Life will be happy to know I plan to continue it. Between vacation and school, I have been a bit busy. Add a healthy dose of writers block, and the story doesn't progress. Don't worry though, I have big plans for that one (if you haven't checked it out, please do!)

On with the story!

Leia sat at the communication terminal in her rather luxurious apartment. Ever since the… incident, she has not returned to her office within the Temple. That was yesterday. Leia sighed, she had tried to meditate as Luke had instructed, but could not find any source of peace. She hadn't slept since the meeting and was feeling on edge. Now, she decided, was time to speak to Luke. She wanted to know why he hadn't told her about speaking with… him and why Luke hadn't warned her that he would be coming. She activated the terminal and called to Luke's personal comm link. She wanted answers.

On the other side of the galaxy, Luke's comm began beeping, indicting the call he had been expecting all day. He quietly excused himself from the cock pit, receiving odd looks from Han and Chewie. He moved into the living quarters and sat on his bunk, preparing mentally for the confrontation. After a moment, he answered the call. "Leia, how are you?"

"Luke skip the pleasantries, we both know why I am calling."

Luke sighed, "Your right Leia, I know why you called. You saw our father and are upset at me for not informing you about him sooner."

Leia frowned deeply, "No Luke, I'm not upset about you withholding this from me. I'm upset that you could betray me like this." Her voice cracked, as if she was on the verge of tears, "I mean, how could you- how could you even speak to that man? After all he did to you-to us?"

Luke's heart went out to his sister, "Leia, I never meant to hurt you. I-I don't do this to hurt anyone. Our father, I told you how he saved my life. He killed Palpatine, sacrificing himself for me."

"One act doesn't make him a good person."

"Your right Leia, but please understand. Father wasn't always the monster we saw. I have spoken to so many different Jedi… he was once a good, honest man. Someone I felt proud of… He came back, he returned from the Dark Side. Such a thing is unheard of, considered impossible."

"And that is supposed to make me feel all warm about him?"

"Just consider the ramifications. He must be a very strong person, and I speak of Anakin Skywalker, not Darth Vader."

"They are the same to me."

"Oh Leia, they aren't. Anakin was a good person, who fell into bad circumstances. Just hear him out, hear his story. Try to forgive him, not for him, but for you. You deserve peace."

"Luke-I can't…" The tears began to flow now.

"That's not true Leia, I know you can. Please, little sister, just listen. If nothing else, do it to hear about… about our mother."

Leia's eyes went wide at that, "I-I hadn't considered… they, they are close?"

Luke laughed, "Our mother and father loved each other very much. They were married, you know, and are together now. Please Leia, her father out. He has so much to offer you, and I know this is hard, but he loves you so much."

"Luke, I just… can't. Looking at him all I can think of is that detention cell in the Death Star, what he did… And then as soon as I move past that, I see Alderaan and its destruction. I see him, standing there uncaring as-as everything is destroyed." Leia moved away from the screen, hiding the tears that had flooded her eyes.

"I know. Leia I know. I understand how you feel completely. When I was a kid, I had… envisioned what my father would be like. I saw a strong, caring man who would always protect me, keep me safe… and then, on Bespin… Leia, that news broke me. Shattered completely. I was angry, like you. I felt hate like I have never know. The image of a perfect father was destroyed and in its stead, a monster of a man. However, I endured. I went through the denial, the rage, the pain… but I came out of it, stronger than ever. The ore I thought about it, the more I realized that our father needed me. Not in the way he said; he needed me to save him. That was why I was here, there was reason to all of this. Father needed to be redeemed and I would be the one to do it." Luke gave a half laugh, "It was my destiny I suppose. I believed in him, something no one had done in 20 years, and he came through for me. And I love him for it. I love him for coming back. I love him for saving me. I love him because he deserves it. Leia, trust me, let go of this hate you hold for him. Do it for yourself, and do it for him. If you just listen to what he has to say, I promise you'll feel it too."

Leia made no attempt to hide her tears this time, "Luke, I'm-I'm not strong like you I can't-"

"Yes you can Leia, I believe in you."

Leia looked at her brother, love and gratitude surging though her, "Thank you Luke."

"Any time little sister."

…

Leia, after a few hours of thought, came to a decision. She would hear her father out. Luke had made some good points, especially about forgiving for herself. Moreover, she wanted, no _needed_ , to hear about her mother. Besides, Luke had faith in her, and she wouldn't let her big brother down. She sat down and began to center herself in the Force as she had been taught. Tenderly, she called out for her father, gently, partially hoping he wouldn't respond. But sure enough, within moments he appeared before her.

"Princess," He greeted calmly, "You have called for me?"

Leia stood and held herself high, "Yes, Father I did."

Anakin immediately smiled when she called him 'father', it was something he had been hoping to hear from her for a long time. It seemed Luke's talk with her had an effect after all. He and Luke had spoken again after their conversation, and Luke had made it clear he was getting tired of being 'stuck in the middle of these family disputes.' Anakin smiled at that, Luke was just adorable sometimes. At least, that's how Padme liked to put it. He shifted back to his daughter, curious as to what she wished to say. "You have a question?"

Leia took a deep breath, "Yes, I want to know about my mother. Luke made it clear that the only place I would hear about her is from you."

Anakin laughed, "I think he's just trying to be helpful. What would you like to know?"

"What was her name?"

Anakin drew a deep breath, "Hold on, let me get this right, Padme Amidala Naberrie and then Skywalker, though that part was never public."

Leia's mouth hung open, "Senator Amidala? As in Delegation of 2000, Queen of Naboo, that Amidala?!"

Anakin laughed, "Yes, that Senator. Of course, to me she was just Padme, my angle…"

"Angle?" Leia asked.

"I met her when I was a boy. I heard deep space pilots talking about the most beautiful creatures in the galaxy called angles and… when I saw your mother, I thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. It just clicked for me I suppose."

Leia looked at him in a new light, "How old were you?"

Anakin shrugged, "Nine I think. She was 14 at the time, already a queen. I didn't know that of course, she was just a beautiful stranger in the shop. I swear, I fell in love with her the moment I laid eyes on her. I even told her I would one day marry her."

"You really adored her."

"More than you could imagine, she was my everything and without her… I couldn't go on, the pain was too much. I gave into the darkness completely and that's how I remained for 20 long years."

"What was she like?" Leia asked, her interest piqued. Anakin spoke with such passion and love, it was hard not to become wrapped up in it.

"Much like you. You have her looks, such beauty. She was passionate about freedom, democracy, and above all peace. Needless to say we did butt heads on political views, but that never really hurt our relationship. At least, for the majority. Your mother saw people very clearly too, even when others were fooled. During the Clone Wars, your mother often spoke about our 'benevolent' leader Palpatine and his less than holy methods. He had most of the galaxy tricked by his act, but not your mother. I wish I had listened to her…" Anakin looked away, unable to face his daughter.

Leia felt her heart go out to her father. He really did love their mother and he… he really was remorseful, she could tell. "You are with mother now?"

Anakin rose to meet his daughter's questioning eyes, "Yes, your mother is an extremely forgiving woman. She said saving our son and destroying that monster had earned her forgiveness. Personally, I do not think I earned it, not one bit, but I accept it nonetheless. Now I spend almost every minute with her… Leia, it really is paradise. The Force works in mysterious ways to allow me this happiness, it is something I will never understand."

In a way, Leia did understand. She shocked herself with that thought, not fulling comprehending how her despise had turned to sympathy so quickly. It was strange, her feelings seemed to swirl around her and she was unable to fully discern them. No matter how hard she tried though, he could not muster any real hatred towards him. "Tell me more," Leia said softly.

…

It was some time later before Anakin had to return to the folds of the Force. They had spoken in depth about Padme, about her career as a senator and how she was known as 'The Champion of Democracy'. He talked about the Clone Wars and how they kept their marriage secret. The whole time Leia was captivated by her father's description, hanging on every word about her mother. Before long however, Anakin had to end the retelling.

"I am afraid I have spent too long in this plane of existence, I have to return to the Force."

Leia, for her part, hid her disappointment, "I understand, and thank you for telling me about my mother. I…appreciate it."

"Anytime Leia, really. I promise I'll tell you anything you want to know."

Leia nodded and before she could say anything else, her father was gone.

…

Leia sat in her room, thinking over her encounter with her father. Overall, it was dare she say, pleasant. He was cordial, polite, and very forthcoming with information. Learning about her mother had been wonderful and it was very apparent to Leia just how much her parents adored each other. Moreover, that brought something else into question; how did her father abandoned all of it for Palpatine? What happened to him? Part of her was afraid to ask and part of her was just downright terrified to find the answer. She could always ask Luke, but knowing her brother, he would refuse to say a word. His determination to bring her and Anakin together was getting annoying. He made it clear that she was on her own in asking for information. The more she thought about it, the more she craved to understand her father. If someone like that could fall, what chance did she have? How could she hold against the Darkness when someone with so much love in their heart fell? _'I have to know,_ ' she concluded, ' _I need to know why he fell. I'll ask tomorrow.'_


End file.
